If you saw my InstaStories this past week, a) thank you for watching my nonsense! and b) you’ll know that I went on a short road trip with my dad. It was just overnight, but I still over-packed…especially with the makeup. 😉 To be fair, I did use almost everything, but it’s a lot. Since I only took things that I love, I thought I would share the contents of my “travel” makeup bag with you! I’m skipping skin care as that’s a whole post unto itself; we’re just sticking to the makeup here. Like I said, there’s a lot so we best get to it! 😄 (Links to reviews and related posts in pink.)
The first step for most of us is primer and I am certainly no different. 😄 However, I never feel that one is enough and I have two. 😳 The first I’ve been using for probably over a year now. It’s a product I initially couldn’t decide whether it was worth the effort or not and I guess I’ve determined it is since I always use it! It is the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Primer and I find that it helps to keep my skin hydrated while controlling shine throughout the day. Kind of unexpected that it does both, but fantastic because it does! It’s pricey, but I have yet to find anything else that does the same thing. Sticking with the oil-control and adding a skin-perfecting pore-filling primer, I’ve been addicted to the Milk Makeup Blur Stick. Since I recently reviewed it, I won’t go into more detail. Do I really need two? Probably not, but I find that when I combine them I get a much nicer effect that remains shine-free all day.
Next step for me is an under eye corrector to hide any darkness. I really needed this after barely sleeping on the trip! Most recently I’ve been trying out the Fiona Stiles Full Cover Perfect Finish Concealer in the shade “Peach Corrector” and I really enjoy it! It’s a pot corrector which is not my favorite, but I find that my most effective correctors are in pots. It is thick, but it doesn’t look heavy, get cakey, or crease throughout the day. It also doesn’t emphasize any texture or lines under my eyes. It’s pigmented enough that it actually helps disguise the bluish-purple under my eyes, but not so pigmented that it looks weird…even if I forget concealer over it! I had been using the Pixi version, but I find the Fiona Stiles is a lot creamier and easier to apply as well as better for actually correcting discoloration while the Pixi is a bit better for brightening. Definitely a life-saver on this trip! 😅
Sticking with the product overkill, I actually brought three foundations. 😳 And yes, I did use them all! Let me explain my craziness. I started with the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation. I really like this foundation because it has a good medium coverage with a natural finish that feels weightless on the skin. It’s a lot like the NYX Total Control Foundation Drops which I also brought. I find that the NYX has a more matte finish that keeps me shine free longer, but my real reason for bringing it was to adjust the shade of the Tarte because the shade I have is just a smidge too dark. In Tarte foundations, I almost always seem to be the shade “Light,” but this one is just a touch too deep for my skin tone. So I brought the shade “05 Light” in the NYX foundation because it’s a touch too light for me. I mix them together for a better match! Then to just prove that I’m excessive, I brought my Cover FX Custom Cover Drops to add a bit more coverage. Yup, I’m that girl with 14 bags for an overnight trip. 😜 For now, the 3 together add up to just what I need to cover my troubled skin.
That brings us to concealer. Sticking with the excess, I brought two. One for under the eyes and one for the face. Technically either of these concealers could have done the job for both, but the shades are quite different and I had the room, so…. 🙃 For under my eyes I brought the trusty Tarte Shape Tape in the shade “Light.” You’ve heard the hype and I agree. It’s full coverage, doesn’t crease, stays put, etc. I don’t love this for blemishes around my face for the sole reason that none of the shades match my skin tone very well. I actually use “Light-Neutral” under my eyes most often because it’s not quite as light on my skin, but somehow I reached for the “Light.” Fortunately for blemishes/redness I also brought the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer in “Crème Brulee.” It blends in with my skin tone much better and still covers amazingly well, stays put, doesn’t crease and doesn’t cake. I feel like I’m going to go through this little pot quickly because I use it a lot, but it works so well for covering anything on the face while still looking natural. Concealers are so small in a makeup bag, so taking two really wasn’t a big deal. 🙃
I probably wouldn’t typically add this next product because it is a step I don’t mind skipping, but it fit so I figured why not? 😄 It is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Foundation in the shade “Contour – Fawn.” This is such a quick and easy (as well as travel-friendly) way to contour. I just stripe a quick line in the hollows of each check and down the sides of my nose then blend it out with a small stippling brush (I use either the Real Techniques or e.l.f. versions). It looks natural while still making a subtle difference. Like I said, it’s a step I can easily skip, but I do like to do it when I have the time and inclination. Much to my surprise, I did use it on the trip!
At this point I’m done with creams, so it’s time for powder. I have been reaching for the Cover FX Perfect Setting Powder ever since I bought it. This trip was no different! I suppose loose powder might not typically be the best choice for travel, but the packaging of this powder makes for mess-free travel! Aside from being a fantastic powder that sets makeup invisibly without emphasizing texture, the container has a little flip top under the cap to prevent powder from flying everywhere! It’s perfect for anytime, but works really well to prevent spills during travel.
Now it’s time to do one of my least favorite tasks – brows! I brought three products for this too. So ashamed! 😳 They just slipped right in with my brushes, so I justified it. 😉 I brought the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil. I often only use this with no complaints, but recently started adding the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz as well. Back to the Hourglass for a second – I love the brush on it! That was my main reason for adding it to this horrifying admission of excess. 😄 I will comb my brows into some semblance of shape and the take the Brow Wiz in “Soft Brown” to better define the edges and the tail of my brows. I like using this pencil in this somewhat dark (for my hair) shade for the outer edges because it seems to adhere to the skin that’s lacking hairs better than the Hourglass pencil. It takes a bit more time though and can be a bit intense if I’m not careful. I will use the shade “Taupe” in an attempt to keep my brows from overpowering my face. For some reason this shade doesn’t stick as well to the bald spots on the edges of my brows, so I just fill in any remaining gaps and thus my justification for two skinny pencils. A quick softening of the color with the brush from the Hourglass pencil and I’m done…though it’s nowhere near that quick! 😉 Excessive? Absolutely, but I had the space and used them all so no regrets!
Moving on to the eyes. A lot of this I will skip depending on time and how I’m feeling, but I woke up real early and bothered with some eye shadow. To start, I primed my always creasing lids with the Hylamide Matte 12. This is technically an oil-control and mattifying primer for the face, but I’ve been using it pretty much only on my eyelids and it has worked wonders! It keeps the oil from breaking through and ruining any actual shadow primers that I may use. I’ve recently been reaching most for the good ole Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I don’t always use this, but it further prolongs my shadows, almost eliminates the possibility of creasing and helps keep shadows from sticking or skipping. The Hylamide kind of returns my lids to normal and then allows the Urban Decay primer to work like it would on a more typical eyelid. 😄 Again excessive, but effective. And I had the room so please don’t take this to be my tips for packing light! 😂
Something I would never skip is a dark eyeliner for tightlining my upper waterline. I picked my recent go-to, the NYX Tres Jolie Gel Pencil Liner in “Brown.” It’s just a fantastic creamy liner that stays put even in the tricky waterlines, but can also work on to create a solid or smudged line on the eyelid or under the eye. A one-can-do-it-all for a change. 😜 Fear not, I brought another eye liner as well. 😄 I figured a flesh-toned pencil liner for the lower waterline would be a great idea to brighten up tired eyes…just in case! And indeed, I did need it! I used the ColourPop Crème Gel Liner in “Honeydude.” I barely slept and had horribly red, bloodshot eyes in the morning so this was a fantastic addition to my traveling arsenal! 😂
My eyeshadow palette didn’t actually fit into my makeup bag because it was longer than the bag itself. All things considered, it’s shocking I could fit everything else into one bag! 😂 I initially planned to just bring the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette because it would fit into the bag and would work for something quick and easy. Though I still brought that palette, it’s not what I ended up using. My palette of choice was the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette because it’s one of favorites and it can look nice no matter what kind of time I have! This palette has a good mix of great wearable colors for pretty much any occasion. There are mattes and shimmers in a variety of light, medium and dark shades. A few subtle colors can add a bit of pizazz without being too wild for day-to-day. Not to mention the packaging is a nice sturdy tin that’s not likely to fly open or get smushed in a bag. It’s just an absolute must-have in my eyes…and great for travel! 😃
For mascara, believe it or not, I just brought one tube that happened to be opened. 😉 Even better, I like it! 😜 It’s not my favorite mascara in all the world, but it is good and I’ve been really enjoying it. I would even buy it again. It’s just not my all-time favorite. What is it? The Fiona Stiles Ultimate Lash Icon Volumizing Mascara. The brush is a good size – not too big, not too small – so that it easily works on both top and bottom lashes. It creates a decent amount of volume and length without getting too clumpy and it lasts all day without flaking…at least for me! It’s actually a really good mascara. Two thumbs up!
I still haven’t mentioned anything for cheeks. I brought a lot of options because I brought a blush palette! It was the Tarte Holiday 2016 version (can’t remember the exact name). I figured this gave me a ton of options without much space. Plus it has nice sturdy packaging and has two highlighter options as well! However, at the last minute I decided to add the blush and highlighter I’ve been using all the time as of late – the Milani Rose Blush in “Awakening Rose” and the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter in “10 – Be My Highlight.” The Milani blush is a fantastic neutral dusty rose hue with the subtlest of shimmers that really doesn’t show up on the skin. The Essence highlighter is also very subtle and creates that nice lit-from-within kind of glow on the cheeks. I just wanted to stick with natural, neutral and easy cheeks…but still wanted options. 😉
For lip colors, I naturally brought options. 😉 I was wearing one shade on the way down – the Tarte Color Splash Lipstick in the shade “Surf’s Up.” I love this formula as well as this color! I guess I would call it a medium rose with just a tiny touch of peach. That went in my purse. In the makeup bag, I had two more shades of this lipstick! 😳 A bright pink called “Popsicle” and a wearable orange called “Daiquiri.” I really love both of these shades, especially getting into the warmer weather. I actually didn’t wear either of these. Instead I went for the Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon in a limited edition mini called “Torte.” It’s basically just a neutral pinkish shade. These pencils are good, but I do like the Tarte formula better.
I would say that’s it, but really? That’s it? This is a crap ton of makeup…especially for one night! But alas, it’s what I brought and it’s pretty much what I put on my face when I’m wearing makeup. Believe it or not, with the exception of the palettes, everything did fit into a relatively small makeup bag. I know! I was surprised too!!! Perhaps I’ll do another post trying to pack a full face of makeup with the fewest number of products I possibly can. But that’s for another day…. 😜 Until then, thank you so much for stopping by (and sticking through yet another massive post)! Hope to see you back soon!!! 💕
